Our Ear, Nose and Throat Experts

The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center’s ear, nose and throat (ENT) team offers the most advanced and comprehensive ENT care in the region. Our sub-specialists are skilled in a broad range of disciplines including audiology, balance, voice disorders, cranial base surgery, otology and neurotology, and more.

Our Audiologists

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Laura Feeney, AuD

Audiologist

Laura Feeney, AuD, earned both her bachelor’s degree in Speech and Hearing Science and her doctoral degree in Audiology from The Ohio State University. She has been with the Ohio State Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery since 2007. She is certified by the American Board of Audiology and is a member of the American Academy of Audiology. Her clinical interests include diagnostic testing, hearing aids and cochlear implants. 

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Laura Garish, AuD

Audiologist

Laura Garish, AuD, earned her bachelor's degree from The Ohio State University in 1992 and master’s degree from the University of Akron in 1994. She completed her doctorate degree in 2001 at the University of Florida. She worked as the director of Audiology in the Huntington Ear Clinic in Huntington, West Virginia, from 1994-1996 and joined the Ohio State Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery in 1997. Laura is a founding member, board member and treasurer of the nonprofit foundation, Project EAR, Inc. 

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Brenda Hall, AuD

Audiologist

Brenda Hall, AuD, graduated from the University of North Carolina with a master’s degree in Audiology. She received her doctoral degree from Arizona School of Health Sciences in 2010. She has been a member of the Ohio State Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery since 1991. Her interests include working with patients with cochlear implants and hearing aids.

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Meghan Hiss, AuD

Audiologist

Meghan Hiss, AuD, received her bachelor’s degree in Speech and Hearing Science and her Doctor of Audiology degree from The Ohio State University in 2008 and 2012, respectively. She worked as a clinical audiologist at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary and Columbus Speech and Hearing Center before joining the Ohio State Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery in 2018. Her clinical interests include diagnostic audiology, cochlear implants and the fitting of hearing aids and assistive technology. Dr. Hiss is a research audiologist at the Ohio State Buckeye Center for Hearing and Development. She is board certified by the American Board of Audiology and is a member of the American Academy of Audiology and the Ohio Academy of Audiology. 

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Kayla Kirk, AuD

Audiologist

Kayla Kirk, AuD, earned both her bachelor’s degree in Speech and Hearing Science and her Doctor of Audiology degree from The Ohio State University. Dr. Kirk worked as a clinical audiologist at Southwest Ohio ENT and Columbus Speech and Hearing Center before joining the Ohio State Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. Her clinical interests include diagnostic audiology and the fitting of hearing aids, auditory osseointegrated devices, and assistive technology. Dr. Kirk is board certified by the American Board of Audiology and is a member of the American Academy of Audiology and the Ohio Academy of Audiology. 

Debby LaPrete, AuD

Audiologist

Debby LaPrete, AuD, received her bachelor’s degree from The Ohio State University and her master's degree from the University of Cincinnati. She graduated from the Arizona School of Health Sciences with her doctoral degree in Audiology in 2009. Dr. LaPrete has worked at Ohio State since 1994, and specializes in providing services to recipients of cochlear implants and auditory brainstem implants.

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Cari Mickelson, MEd

Audiologist

Cari Mickelson, MEd, graduated from the University of Virginia with a degree in Audiology. She has worked in a variety of medical settings for the past 25 years. Her interests include diagnostic audiology and hearing aid dispensing. Cari is a member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

Alyse Ramirez, AuD

Audiologist

Alyse Ramirez, AuD, received a Bachelor of Science degree in Early Childhood Education and a Doctor of Audiology degree at The Ohio State University in 2016 and 2022, respectively. She completed an externship and worked as a clinical audiologist at Southwest Ohio ENT before joining Ohio State in 2023. Her interests include hearing aids, cochlear implants and Baha implants. Dr. Ramirez is a member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and the American Academy of Audiology.
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Melissa Schnitzspahn, AuD

Manager, Audiology

Melissa Schnitzspahn, AuD, received her bachelor’s degree in Speech and Hearing Science from The Ohio State University in 1998 and her master’s degree in Audiology from Ohio State in 2000. She obtained her doctoral degree in Audiology from the Arizona School of Health Sciences in 2008. Melissa joined the Ohio State Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery in 2001. Her interests include hearing aid dispensing and cochlear implants.

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Saul Strieb, AuD

Audiologist & Vestibular Laboratory Coordinator

Saul Strieb, AuD, obtained his bachelor’s degree from the University of Chicago and his master’s degree in Audiology from the University of Maryland. He received his doctoral degree in Audiology from the University of Florida in 2009. He served as an audiologist at the Washington Hospital Center from 2001 through 2011, before joining the staff of the Ohio State Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery in 2011. His clinical interests include hearing aids, BAHA, vestibular assessment and treatment of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo.

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Taylor Wucinich, AuD

Audiologist

Taylor Wucinich, AuD, received her bachelor’s degree in Speech and Hearing Science and her Doctor of Audiology degree from The Ohio State University in 2014 and 2018, respectively. She worked as a clinical audiologist in Westerville, Ohio before joining the Ohio State Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery in 2021. Her interests include diagnostic testing, hearing aids, auditory osseointegrated hearing devices, and vestibular assessment. Dr. Wucinich is a member of the American Academy of Audiology and the Ohio Academy of Audiology. She is board certified by the American Board of Audiology.

Our Vestibular Audiology Team

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Saul Strieb, AuD

Audiologist and Vestibular Laboratory Coordinator

Saul Strieb, AuD, obtained his bachelor’s degree from the University of Chicago and his master’s degree in audiology from the University of Maryland. He received his doctoral degree in audiology from the University of Florida in 2009. He was an audiologist at the Washington Hospital Center from 2001-2011, before joining the staff of the department in 2011. His clinical interests include hearing aids, BAHA, vestibular assessment and treatment of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo.
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Taylor Wucinich, AuD

Audiologist

Taylor Wucinich, AuD, received her bachelor’s degree in Speech and Hearing Science and her Doctor of Audiology degree from The Ohio State University in 2014 and 2018, respectively. She worked as a clinical audiologist in Westerville, Ohio before joining the Ohio State Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery in 2021. Her interests include diagnostic testing, hearing aids, auditory osseointegrated hearing devices, and vestibular assessment. Dr. Wucinich is a member of the American Academy of Audiology and the Ohio Academy of Audiology. She is board certified by the American Board of Audiology.

Our Speech Language Pathologists - Voice and Swallowing

Heath Barron, CCC-SLP

Heath Barron, MA, CCC-SLP

Speech Language Pathologist

Heath Barron, MA, CCC-SLP, is a speech language pathologist in the Ohio State Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. With an undergraduate degree in vocal music education, Heath spent years working with young singers as a middle/high school choir teacher before returning to The Ohio State University to obtain a Master of Arts in Speech Language Pathology. He currently works as a singing health specialist in the department and treats a variety of swallowing, breathing and voice disorders. 
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Anna Lichtenstein, MA, CCC-SLP

Speech Language Pathologist

Anna Lichtenstein, MA, CCC-SLP (she/her) is a speech language pathologist in the Ohio State Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. She earned her Master of Arts in Speech Language Pathology from The University of Toledo in 2015 and received her Bachelor of Science in Speech Language Pathology and Audiology from Miami University in 2013. Anna has been working in the outpatient clinical setting since 2015 and primarily provides gender-affirming voice modification services for the transgender and gender-diverse community. This service helps transgender and gender-diverse individuals find a healthy voice that is more congruent with their gender-identity. Anna received recognition for her dedication to this specialty area in 2020, when she was honored with the Diversity in Business Award through Columbus Business First.
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Jennifer Thompson, MA, CCC-SLP

Speech Language Pathologist

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Michelle Toth, MA, CCC-SLP

Speech Language Pathologist

Michelle Toth, MA, CCC-SLP, is a speech language pathologist specialized in singing health who has worked with the Division of Voice and Swallowing Disorders for more than 12 years. She received her Bachelor of Music from Wright State University and her Masters of Speech and Hearing Science from The Ohio State University. She enjoys working with all voice and swallowing disordered patients; however, singers remain her passion. She continues to sing within the community and perform professionally as possible.